RESPONSES OF SUBMERSED VASCULAR PLANT COMMUNITIES TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Graham J. Davis and Mark M. Brinson Department of Biology East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina 27834

FWS/OBS-79/33

Contract No. 14-16-0009-78-032 

Project Officer: 

Charles Segelquist 

Eastern Energy and Land Use Team 

Route 3, Box 44 

Kearneysville, West Virginia 2543

Performed for: 

Eastern Energy and Land Use Team

National Water Resources Analysis Group

Office of Biological Services

Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

PREFACE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING SUBMERSED PLANT GROWTH

• 2.1 FLUCTUATING WATER LEVELS
• 2.2 CURRENTS AND WAVES
• 2.3 SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON SUBMERSED PLANTS
• 2.4 GROWING SEASON AND DORMANCY
• 2.5 NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY AND UPTAKE
• 2.6 BIOLOGICAL FACTORS
• 2.7 HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE

3. RESPONSES OF SUBMERSED PLANTS TO LIGHT AND TURBIDITY

• 3.1 LIGHT ATTENUATION
• 3.2 RELATIONSHIP OF ACTUAL LIGHT TRANSMISSION AND SECCHI DISC TRANSPARENCY
• 3.3 DEPTH ZONATION AND TURBIDITY TOLERANCE OF SUBMERSED SPECIES
• 3.4 PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND GROWTH IN RESPONSE TO LIGHT

4. RESPONSES OF SUBMERSED PLANTS TO ECOSYSTEM CHANGE

• 4.1 COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO THE DURATION OF PERTURBATION
• 4.2 CATEGORIES OF SPECIES BASED ON RESISTANCE TO ECOSYSTEM ALTERATION

5. EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ALTERATIONS ON SUBMERSED AQUATIC PLANTS

REFERENCES

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